Kids set to shine in Scotland

Young golfers are being urged to showcase their skills against hundreds of the world’s best junior players when the prestigious U.S. Kids Golf European Championship returns to Scotland this year.

Entries are now being sought from junior golfers for this year’s event – the biggest golf tournament taking place in the ‘home of golf’ Scotland in 2010, even surpassing the Open Championship at St Andrews.

The tournament has become one of the highlights of the junior golf calendar and will likely see around 500 players from 30 countries competing over four historic East Lothian links courses.  

Organised by the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation – which provides opportunities for children across the world to learn and play golf – the event has emerged as Europe’s premier junior competition to showcase the next generation of golfing stars.

Kids as young as six and – for the first time – up to the age of 18 will be challenging for the various age group European Champion titles at the event, which also aims to promote the sport among children and families, as well as giving young players the chance to forge lifelong friendships through the game of golf.

The tournament over June 1-3 will take place on four historic courses – Gullane No. 2, Gullane No. 3, Craigielaw Golf Club and Longniddry Golf Club – which are modified for each age group in order to provide the same level challenge, meaning holes are progressively shorter as the age groups get younger.  It ultimately allows the players to reach the greens in the same number of strokes as the top pros on the PGA tour.

The top finishers in each category will then compete in the Van Horn Cup over Gullane No 1 – a showpiece event, modelled on the Ryder Cup, where the best European players are pitted against the top non-Europe golfers.  The top five finishers in each age and gender group also automatically receive an invitation to the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships at Pinehurst Golf Club, North Carolina, in August.

This year’s competition has also been expanded to allow 15 to 18-year-olds to compete for the first time, and it is hoped that this will encourage even more entries from budding junior golfers across the globe.

Tournament Co-ordinator Alasdair Good, Head Professional at Gullane GC, said: “2010 is a big year for golf in Scotland, especially with the Open Championship taking place at St Andrews.  However, in terms of the overall number of entrants, the U.S. Kids Golf European Championship will actually be the biggest tournament taking place in Scotland this year – as there will be more than 400 players competing.

“We’re going to see some of the world’s best young golfers in action over four days and the standard will be exceptionally high. I’ve no doubt that we could even see a few Major winners of the future among the field of competitors.

*For more information or to enter the U.S. Kids Golf European Championships, visit www.uskidsgolf.com